Before the Games
by Adela-Elli
Summary: This is Clove and Cato's story before they were reaped for the Games. See how their friendship changes into a dangerous yet passionate love. This was their life in District 2.
1. Chapter 1

**Before the Games  
****Hi guys! This is going to be my first story. I hope you'll like it.  
I own nothing except the plot.**

It was 10 o'clock in the evening and storming like crazy in District 2.

A young girl by the name of Clove was sitting in her room, throwing knives at the wall opposite her. Determination marked her pale face and her conceited smile grew bigger with every knife hitting her "prey". After having thrown all the knives she possessed, Clove walked towards the wall to collect her precious blades. The marks her knives had left in the wall would have been a problem if her parents got to see them. But they wouldn't see it, because they were never there.

It bothered her a lot to always be alone, although she did like to have the house to herself sometimes, but she knew that their jobs were very important to her parents. Peacekeepers. Clove didn't understand why her parents loved to be peacekeepers so much. In 2 you'd only become a peacekeeper if you weren't strong enough for the games or if you wanted to avoid having to work in the mines. Neither her mum nor dad was a victor or related to a victor, but they had decent jobs before they left everything, including their daughter, behind to go work as a peacekeeper in whatever district they were needed. Her dad used to be a blacksmith and he's the reason Clove discovered her passion: throwing knives. Her mum was a mathematics teacher at the one high school District 2 possessed. She helped Clove a lot with improving her throwing skills. After all you can't throw a knife decently without calculating the speed of your throw and the distance between yourself and the "prey" and you can't calculate without knowing your mathematics.

Clove put all her knives, except for the 5 she always kept with her, back in their boxes and went downstairs in the small living room and kitchen to go drink some water. She lifted the bucket with fresh water and poured herself a big glass of the cold goodness. After she had drunk her second glass, Clove went back upstairs and prepared herself to go to sleep. She brushed her teeth above yet another bucket in a small room used as a bathroom by her and brushed her thick black hair.

She went back into her room and lay down in one of the 2 beds. She was glad this boring day was as good as over. It was Sunday and normally she would've gone to the Academy to train (even though it was closed, she always found a way in) but the trainers had used this "day off" to talk about who had a chance at entering the games this year. Clove knew it wasn't her turn to volunteer yet, so this "day off" was a lost day for her. At least she could go train and see Cato tomorrow. Ah, Cato, her best friend and the pride of District 2. He was feared by almost everyone, but not by her. She was Clove Sevina after all, a fearless and lethal career. She was his equal: he was stronger, she was faster, he was good with a sword, she was skilled with a knife.

He was the only thing she was grateful to her parents for. After all the reason why they became friends is because her parents were befriend with his.

Clove turned around so she faced the window. If only they hadn't left. But they had. And Clove was reminded of the reason why every time she saw the second bed.

**I hope you liked it. Review please and let me know what you** **think.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I'm going to write this chapter from Clove's pov so you can understand her feelings and the way she thinks more.**

Clove's pov

I wake up from yet another dream full of unpleased parents, untouched beds and best friends with icy blue eyes. I look out of the window and see that the sun is just rising which means I have enough time to do my chores and eat breakfast before I have to meet Cato. Perfect.

I quickly make my bed and I try to ignore the second one, before leaving my room to wash myself. I don't mind the fact that we I don't have running water. No one in 2 does, except for maybe the richest ones and the victors. That's why my house and everyone else's from the middle stand is full of buckets filled with water. We can collect our water from the 7 wells of District 2. For the aged people that's a tough job but there's always a strong career nearby to help them out. Just like Cato always helps me with carrying those heavy buckets. I take a face cloth which I dip into a bucket of water so I can wash my face with it. I don't need to shower since I'm always sweating really badly after a long day of training.

I go back into my room to change from my pyjamas into my training outfit. Every career has the same long black pants and black T-shirt. You're not allowed to enter the academy without your uniform on.

After having brushed my hair and having it pulled into a ponytail, I head toward the small kitchen to eat something. I decide to eat some nice cheese sandwiches and an apple. I also drink 2 glasses of water going to the toilet. I take a bucket with me since there's no running water.

Afterwards I grab 2 apples, one for me and for Cato, and head towards the front door. I step outside and begin my short walk towards the old willow where Cato and I always meet.  
I see he has arrived before me which is pretty rare considering the fact that Cato likes his sleep.

"Morning, Clover", he says.

"Morning Cato", I reply. "Here, I got you an apple."

"Thanks!" "My mum made you some cookies. Here you go."

I accepted the bag of cookies with a big smile on my face, which I quickly covered because Clove Sevina doesn't smile, she smirks.

"Tell your mum I said thanks"

"No problem, you know how much she likes to bake."

"Of course I know. That's the reason why you're such a fatty!" I tell him.

"Fat?!" he said pretending to be hurt. "I'm pure muscle, shorty, and you know it!" he bragged.

"Yeah right, Cato…" I reply, though I know he's right. That's one of the many reasons he has girls lined up to date him. Of course there's also his sword skills, his confident smirk everybody loves, his handsome face and those icy blue eyes I can't help but adore, not that I would ever tell him that.

"So what did you do yesterday?" he asks me.

"Not much, I just threw some knives at my wall, that's all. It was a useless day if you ask me. How was your day yesterday?"

"I had to take care of Rhine since my mum had an emergency at work."

His mum was a doctor and his dad was a peacekeeper just like mine. He saw his dad a few times a year, but at least he got to enjoy the time he spend with his dad, Marcus. I wondered what his mum's emergency was, but I decided not to ask because I wouldn't really care. And by the indifferent look on Cato's face neither does he.

We arrived at the Academy and went towards our training area without saying a single word to each other. Normally we liked to talk to each other because we trusted each other a lot, but we liked to keep the talking to a minimum in public. We were 2 very feared and respected careers and it wouldn't do our reputation good if the other kids saw us laughing and being nice.

We entered our training area, a big room filled with every weapon you could imagine, and everyone stopped to look at us. I smirked at their reaction.

"See you at lunch." Cato said before walking over towards his beloved swords.

I nodded a response and headed towards the knife throwing station. I picked up my favourite knife, a small, sharp blade and turned around. I saw Cato slaughtering dummies like there's no tomorrow with Brutus watching him who nodded in approval. I was sure Cato had a good chance at entering the Games this year. When he saw me staring, he stopped and winked before continuing his work.

My lips curled up in a small smile and I felt very weird. I threw the knife without looking back and turned around. Bull's eye. I felt someone staring at me and I turned around to see Cato looking over at me. I could get used to this.

**I hope you liked this chapter. Please review to let me know what you think. If you have any questions or suggestions you can always PM me.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone! I hope you'll enjoy the third chapter of Before the Games. I own nothing but the plot.**

I looked down at my dish filled with meat, potatoes and a few vegetables or like my trainers liked to say: proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. Every career got a free meal at the academy every day. It's meant to increase our strength and keep us going for the rest of our training.  
I take a small bite from the meat and look up to see Cato waiting impatiently in the queue to get his lunch. Cato had always been the impatient one of the two of us. He liked it when things were done swiftly and without hesitation whereas I liked to wait and compare my options to each other.

While Cato was still waiting in the line, Cesar and Antonius walked towards my table and sat down, respectively next to me and opposite me. They were two good friends of Cato.

"So gorgeous, did you miss me yesterday?" Antonius asks me with a confident smirk.

He's known as a flirt in the Academy and has broken the hearts of many foolish career girls, but I was always the one who ignored his many stupid attempts at flirting with me and declined him every time he asked me on a date, which unfortunately for me was almost every day. It's not because he's not good enough that I refuse to go on a date with him, because he's quite the catch. He's handsome, but not as much as Cato, he's very skilled with an axe, but not as Cato with a sword or any other weapon he lays his hands on and he's sure to be a victor of one of the upcoming games, but so is Cato. I just don't have time for a boyfriend. Perhaps that I could open up to someone after I'd become victor but right now I have to concentrate on my task of winning the Hunger Games to prove to my parents that I'm worthy of their attention.

"Not at all" I reply with a bored face, which causes Antonius to lose his smile for a bit, before asking me on a date again, which I deny, of course.

"You'll see Clove Sevina that when I'll become a victor you'll be begging on your knees to date me" he said before picking up his fork and digging in his tremendous amount of food. Boys always got more food than girls, especially proteins because they have more muscles.

"Whatever floats your boat" I reply grinning.

"So, what are you all talking about?" Cato asks as he sits down next to me and begins to eat.

" We're talking about how Clove will beg to date me when I'll become a victor" Antonius says while looking in my eyes.

Cato puts his fork abruptly down. "She would never date you."

" And why not?"

"Because she, unlike the other girls you've dated, has brains."

" What do you mean by that?" Antonius says, irritation audible in his tone.

" I mean that Clove can get better than you" Cato says while staring at Antonius.

"Like you?" Antonius replies grinning.

"Maybe."

I look shocked at Cato but he refuses to meet my gaze and keeps his eyes focused on his friend.

"Just stay away from her." Cato says.

"Or else what? Are you going to beat me?" Antonius says amused.

"I will if I have too."

This might have been funny if Cato didn't have his fists and chin clenched, a thing he only does when he's very angry.

"Clove can date who she wants, you know. You can't control her or keep her away from who she likes.

" I sure can keep you away from her" Cato says with a cold look in his eyes.

"Lunch is over! Back to your stations, everyone!

"Come on, Clove" Cato says before taking my arm and dragging me with him towards our training area, away from Antonius.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone! I own nothing but the plot.**

Cato's dragging me towards our training area but I manage to pull him into a small storeroom before we reach our destination.

"What was that all about in the canteen?" I ask agitated.

"What are you talking about, Clover?" he asks me calmly.

"I'm talking about you getting all worked up and making a scene in front of the other careers!"

"Well, Antonius asked you out and flirted with you! What else could I've done?"

"You could have let it pass like you used to. You know this happens almost daily, it's nothing special."

"Maybe it isn't to you, but it is to me. You didn't see the looks he was giving you."

"He gives those to all the girls in the Academy."

"Exactly, that's why I want you to stay away from him, he's nothing but trouble."

"Firstly, he's your friend, not mine, and secondly, I can do what I want. You can't chose who I stay away from!"

"So you like him?!" Cato asks, anger audible in his voice. I hope everyone's in the training area because if they walk past this room, they'll definitely hear us.

"No, I didn't say that but…"

"But what?" he interrupts me.

"But that's not important right now. You need to control yourself, Cato! Seriously, you made a whole scene out there for nothing. Why didn't you just let it pass?!" I yelled.

"I was trying to protect you! That boy is a player!" he shouts.

"I know, that's why I refused to go out with him every time he asked! It's not the first time he asks me out. Why did you react like that back there?"

"It's different this time", he mumbles softly.

"What's so different about today, Cato?" I ask calmly, though I'm still very pissed off at him for making a scene. It was so embarrassing.

"I overheard him talking to Cesar. He's in love with you! That's like the creepiest thing ever! He can't be in love with you! You're you. That's not right!"

"So you mean I'm unlovable?" I ask emotionless. He knew that was a sensitive topic, but he just had to say that word!

"No…" he says, realising his mistake, but it's too late!

"You know what, Cato? Just forget it, okay! You don't have a say in my love life! I can date who I want! And it doesn't mean that if you think I'm unlovable others do too!" I yell before storming out of the small room.

"Wait, Clove!" he yells, but I just ignore him and continue my walk towards the knives station. I slam the doors of the training area open and see everybody looking at me. I ignore them and walk quickly to my favourite station. Fortunately there's no one there so I can start immediately with blowing off steam.

My knives hit the moving targets swiftly. _Chest. Head. Head. Heart. Chest._

"Get out of my station!" I hear someone shouting. I don't even have to turn around to know who it is.

"So you've finally decided to honour us with your presence, Hadley!" Brutus says.

"I need to blow off steam" , Cato says.

"Very well", coach Brutus says before leaving the swords station and walking towards the spear station.

Fabien, the guy who was practicing his swords skills before Cato came and made another scene, was still there.

"Move!" Cato says. Fabien quickly puts the sword down and starts walking towards another station. Cato takes a much bigger sword from the wall of swords next to him and begins to slash his dummies with it. _Chest._ _Head. Head. Heart. Chest._

**Please let me know if I made any spelling or grammatical mistakes because English isn't my native language. xx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi! I'm sorry it took so long for me to update this story, but I really don't want to rush it and make a complete mess out of my first story.  
Thanks for all your lovely reviews!**

**AmethystDelphini: Clove is 15 years old and Cato 17. Thank you for reminding me that I never told you how old they are!**

_Thonk. Thonk. Thonk. Thonk_. I open my eyes and see that my knives have hit every single target, or Cato, as I like to call them now, perfectly. Good.  
I take 5 steps back, turn around, ignore the pain in my right wrist and close my eyes before throwing the knife without further hesitation. A smirks is visible on my face as I turn around and see that my knife has found its place in the target's, I mean Cato's heart.

Uhhh Cato. Why did he have to mess everything up today? Why didn't he just let Antonius be Antonius?  
I keep on asking myself questions as I put my knives away and head for the showers, the only place in 2 where I have access to running water.

It was obvious Cato was jealous, but why? He had never shown any interest in me. At least, not in the romantic way. He had many other girls for that. Pretty, attractive, tall but yet totally unskilled girls. They would never win the Hunger Games, but they could always marry a victor, they could marry someone like Cato.

I, on the other hand, have more chances to win the Games than to marry a victor or than to marry at all. I gaze at my reflection in the big mirror in the dressing room.  
A young girl looks back at me. She has a thick black hair, a pale round face covered in freckles and green catlike eyes. I wouldn't say she doesn't look nice, maybe even pretty, but compared to others she just isn't good enough…I'm not good enough.

The only positive thing about me are my intelligence and nice throwing skills. There's no room for innocence, for a pretty girl, there's no room for anything else but hard work and determination.  
It's the only way to prove my parents that I'm worthy of their attention. It's the only way to win…

I keep on thinking about that while taking a nice cold shower. I'll be ready to volunteer in 2 years, when I'm going to be 18. That way my chances will be the highest they could ever be. Of course, there's still next year. I'm sure that I stand a big chance for volunteering then, but a Quarter Quell is always very tricky to be in. But wouldn't that make my victory way more grand?  
_  
Clove Sevina from District 2, the winner of the 75__th__ annual Hunger Games!_

Yet, it still is something to think very good about. But I still have time.

I turn off the water and put a towel around myself as I step out of the shower and into the dressing room. I dry myself of and flinch when I touch my right wrist. Even though the bruise isn't too big, its deep blue colour is very visible. Cato had warned me to stay away from Antonius, stating he's nothing but trouble, but at the end of the day it was him who has hurt me, giving me this bruise in the process. Not Antonius.

Cato was the trouble.


End file.
